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Merrick slams FFA for banning dugouts

Angela Habashy

All A-League clubs will finally have dugouts in 2015, but Wellington coach Ernie Merrick has slammed Football Federation Australia, accusing them of banning their use for years.

The issue is again in the spotlight since under fire Sydney FC coach Frank Farina called for sideline dugouts after having a drink was thrown on him during Saturday's tumultuous 3-0 home loss to Adelaide at Allianz Stadium.

Farina feels there could be better protection for players, coaches and support staff, who currently use uncovered chairs on the sideline.

A-League boss Damien de Bohun revealed to AAP that as a result of stadium upgrades for the 2015 Asian Cup all A-League venues will be left with dugouts.

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"One of the very practical legacy outcomes of the Asian Cup will be covered benches for every ground, so afterwards there'll be covered benches right across the league," de Bohun told AAP.

"It's been something that I wanted to implement on day one, but we don't have a bottomless pit when we try to get the balance of resources.

"In the end it doesn't matter whose responsibility it is, it matters that we get it done."

But well-respected coach Merrick lashed out at the FFA saying they have banned dugouts, even in grounds like Hindmarsh Stadium or AAMI Park - which already have them in place for other codes - citing reasons including restricting views.

"I've coached for seven seasons and every year the coaches have done everything they can to get dugouts so they don't have to suffer the abuse and the threats," the former Melbourne Victory mentor told AAP.

"We're the only country in the world that sit on plastic barbecue chairs two metres from the crowd.

"We've brought it up with the FFA every year and their excuses are pitiful.

He said it was ridiculous that they were told not to use dugouts at stadiums where they were already in use.

"They come up with a lot of reasons, which are laughable, like we'd be blocking the view," he said.

"Well, the stadium is half empty - you can move people around.

"Or they say that we have security guards there, or they're too expensive to buy. Really? It's too expensive? How ridiculous is that? It's a safety thing."

Merrick said even if clubs were prepared to pay for dugouts themselves they still weren't allowed to use them.

"You were banned. End of story."

The only stadium currently using dugouts is Westpac Stadium and Merrick says while the FFA has tried to stop Wellington from using them, the club simply ignored the order.

"I wasn't here at the time when this happened last year but the club just said `no we're not removing them' and the FFA gave up," he said.

Merrick said the FFA are now backing their use only because they had been forced to by the Asian confederation.

"Now of course they're hosting the Asian Cup and the confederation have said `don't be so stupid, every country in the world has them, we've got to protect the coaches'," he said.

"So now the FFA are saying `oh it's alright, they're on their way'.

"I'm just in support of Frank Farina and all the coaches.

"I don't give an opinion on everything but when it comes to something as important as this and the FFA denying that it's their responsibility, that really annoys me."